New Comic Book Theme!

Brsouza

@TMNTturtlguy Could you help me?
Could you create a system logo SHMUPS? I use the FBA system for shooting games.

TMNTturtlguy

All, Thanks for the great response and kind words. In regards to very custom system logos:

These logos are not very easy or fast to create, they involve several layers, filters and overlays and use 2 editing programs to accomplish the effects i want, unfortunately it is not a simple font type to create the logo. I am very interested in continuing to support the growth and maintenance of the theme and will note all requests made for systems and logos, however I more than likely will not create logos that are very specific or made for just one user. I want to make sure that the time spent on these will help many people enjoy their system.

That being said, please do continue to post requests, I will add them to my list and I might just create them on some rainy day.

Thank you!

Brsouza

@TMNTturtlguy Thank you so much. This system name is very popular in Brazil.
I´m sure it will help many people.

pjft

@TMNTturtlguy well done good sir.

May I suggest that maybe even just a small list of steps could help people create their own system logos should they wish to, so that those one offs don't have to fall on your lap?

Might help things scale and others contribute should they choose to - at least for the font? Or a way for people to help with should they want to, without having to put it all on your shoulders. Just a thought as usual :)

Have a great weekend!

Edit: Obviously this wouldn't be urgent or a request per se, more like a suggestion for a slow day :)

MikOzzZ

Thank you @TMNTturtlguy ,so if you make a new logo I wish you to make "favorites" first compared to those I quote.

TMNTturtlguy

@pjft sure, it is complicated but here it is:

download shaka-pow text
open adobe illustrator
create a new 8" long by 3" tall artpage
text:
-Size 150
-Click on character
-Height 92
-Width 91
-Va-22
-Select path – convert to path, set outline weight to– 2 (arrange letters for front to back)
-Make copies of base letters – make 4 layers
-Second copy, turn letters white, black outline, select stroke, align to outside, 7.8
-Third Copy, white outline, select stroke, align outside, 11.5
-Forth copy, change color and move straight down 4 clicks
-Save file as Illustrator file

Open photoshop

open illustrator file
create a dot matrix overlay of custom color of your liking
Overlay the dot matrix, inverse select the letters and delete overlay so dots are only on letters
Create a gradient overlay layer of your select color, inverse select the letters and create an overlay from bottom to top.
Make sure your image size is set to 72 dpi
flatten layers
add 2 drop shadows at opposite angles so that the entire logo has a consistent drop shadow
-flatten layers.
-save as a superpng, disable meta data, enable transparencies.

Done - those are the steps, i can't describe the artistic touches and slight modifications made as they differ from color to color, name to name, but that is the exact process used for every logo.

P.S. i have no problem sharing this info, have fun with it. I have already seen that a 3rd party reseller in brasil has been marketing and selling this theme as part of a package they are offering. They made some really nice mods to it from the images i have seen, i like it. Just to bad they are making a profit off of something like this! Lastly, there is not a template for this, because it starts as a text file, and then when you convert it to a path, the text is no longer editable, and you have to start a whole new file - kind of stinks!

pjft

@TMNTturtlguy yeah. That's the bane of our existence, unfortunately.

It is up to you, as the theme is licensed under a non-commercial license, so if you do want to go through the trouble you could ask them to remove the theme from their distribution. Same for RetroPie, which should not be sold. There have been quite a few cases like those in the past and they certainly take a toll on the contributors' motivation. Hope that doesn't affect you much:/

Either way, how's your retro system going? Happy with its current state?

Hope you're doing well!

ruckage

@pjft said in New Comic Book Theme!:

@TMNTturtlguy yeah. That's the bane of our existence, unfortunately.

It is up to you, as the theme is licensed under a non-commercial license, so if you do want to go through the trouble you could ask them to remove the theme from their distribution. Same for RetroPie, which should not be sold. There have been quite a few cases like those in the past and they certainly take a toll on the contributors' motivation. Hope that doesn't affect you much:/

Either way, how's your retro system going? Happy with its current state?

Hope you're doing well!

Yeah, had the same problem. I found a few people on ebay selling SD cards with retropie and my theme on it (big photo of my theme on the auction) being sold fully loaded with roms. I did report them but it seems as if ebay has made it as difficult as possible to report (they have specific reporting categories but none are completely relevant and they only give you a few words to explain.)

It's disheartening as these crooks are making a profit from everyone else's hard work.

TMNTturtlguy

@pjft I am not at all worried or care about the theme, that is inevitable. To bad people try to make money off of this, but it won't sway me from using or creating!

My build is really fun! Still working on it more than playing, but it is enjoyable. I am really excited that you are moving towards getting your work on the main build, and the new transition by @hex is really nice. Just tested that out. I have a pretty good theme concept in mind for that transition now, and the best part, every system will have the same background image!

How is your build going? i know you are very busy with the pr's , hope you get time to enjoy yourself as well. I think you get joy in tinkering, creating and working with others like i do though - never ends!

Brsouza

@TMNTturtlguy Thank you for your explanation, I prefer to create my system logo for my system, I did not know how I created it.
I use this theme for personal use, but I really have seen using your theme for marketing and I consider it totally wrong.

Have a nice day

MikOzzZ

Thank @TMNTturtlguy for explication I will try to do as indicated above otherwise I will content myself or wait that you are a little time or put this logo :)

http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/715803test.jpg

pjft

@TMNTturtlguy yeah, tinkering is usually half the fun :) I also have the goal of building/putting together an arcade cabinet later in the year, so that'll keep me busy and I may ask for tips.

I'm pushing for these PRs for now and then I have a few ideas in the pipeline, which if I end up pursuing and they end up being possible, I may end up asking you to create a few more systems.

Things from the somewhat practical and manageable single "last played" list as an individual system in RetroPie, to the certainly more ambitious and stretch goal of sorting the "most played games by the community in the last month" as well. "Favorites" as a single list also make sense, as well as perhaps an "All" list as well, but one thing at a time. I'm not sure it's even possible yet.

It's always good to have something on the horizon, though. Keeps you engaged and motivated.

And even if I fail miserably at some or all of them, it should still be fun!

Hope you and the family are doing well, and have a great weekend.

TMNTturtlguy

@pjft said in New Comic Book Theme!:

I may end up asking you to create a few more systems.
"last played" list as an individual system in RetroPie, to the certainly more ambitious and stretch goal of sorting the "most played games by the community in the last month" as well. "Favorites" as a single list also make sense, as well as perhaps an "All" list as well

I would be more than happy to help create some logos and backgrounds if you can figure out how to make those work! Interested to see how you will get the run commands to all work in a single "system". Favorites has been asked for by a few, so I now that will be a good addition. Let me know when you start figuring things out and i will gladly test and create art for them.

Have a great weekend.

Hex

@TMNTturtlguy Do you think I should add Themable Icons for Media controls?

Syhles

@Hex
What do you mean by media controls?

Hex

@Syhles I have in my fork added a AudioServer for background media playback. It can be controlled from ES and has an interface. So if a theme has elements pointing to Play Pause Shuffle etc Icons then It can be themed.

Syhles

@Hex
What do you use it for personally?

I understand what it's for I'm just curious.

How do you know which track is playing and what is the interface like while in es?

Sorry for being off topic @TMNTturtlguy

Hex

@Syhles I havent implemented pulling info from server but it does send data with now playing. My setup involves a stripped down version of the server

Full api document : https://github.com/hex007/pifm_server/blob/master/README.md

I have Controls like this :

alt text

TMNTturtlguy

@Hex in regards to themable icons, this has been a hot topic! What are you thinking for icons? Something like the help bar at the bottom? Would certain buttons be set to control them? At this point I am not sure that making them themable is important. Maybe just set them up so that the theme maker can change their colors?

Also, @Hex can we move this topic to its own thread so that my theme can keep its focus on the theme and it updates. Thanks!

Hex

@TMNTturtlguy Icons besides play/stop/skip etc..

I dont think I will be perusing this. As you said, its not that important